


sleepyhead.

by redskiez



Series: missing the things that never happened [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-19 15:02:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18137300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redskiez/pseuds/redskiez
Summary: Maybe making new friends isn’t such a bad thing after all.





	sleepyhead.

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by frozenCinders.

Mr. Maruboshi has always recognized him on sight. It is hard to avoid that when you grow up in a small town.

Obito doesn’t mind. He doesn’t think that it is too much of a big deal. But he also doesn’t seem to remember that Mr. Maruboshi is a person, and people tend to have their own thoughts.

“You shouldn’t eat too much ice-cream, Obito,” Mr. Maruboshi says as he rings up the twin bars.

“It is hot,” Obito lies lamely.

Mr. Maruboshi nods, sliding the double-popsicle over to Obito. “Then drink more water,” he says. He grabs a water bottle from behind the counter and places it by the popsicle.

“Erm,” Obito says.

“It’s on me,” he says.

“I can’t,” says Obito.

Mr. Maruboshi gives him a look and Obito sighs. He glances out the transparent slide-doors of the store and then takes all of the items. He digs into his pockets for a hundred yen and leaves before Mr. Maruboshi can give him the change back.

The doors slide close with the jingle fading behind him. He places the bottle and the popsicle in the basket of his bike and begins to head to the park.

He doesn’t know why he’s doing this. He doesn’t think that he should, to begin with, but there is something at the back of his mind just wouldn’t let him be.

He stops by the park, just like he did two weeks ago, and stands there.

The light buzzing of the broken street lamp fills his head as he waits. He rubs his fingers together and feels the cold plastic cover of the popsicles between them. He wonders if it will melt before he arrives.

A while later, the now-familiar sight of Deidara walking down the street catches his eyes.

“What are you doing out here?” Deidara asks when he sees Obito.

“Nothing,” Obito replies. He fingers the corner of the popsicle packaging.

Deidara points at the popsicles.

“Are you going to eat all of that alone?” he asks.

Obito looks down at the popsicles, twirling it in his hand. He shrugs. “Maybe,” he says, “What’s it to you?”

“It’s a twin bar, yeah,” Deidara says.

“Yes,” says Obito.

“They’re meant for sharing,” Deidara says.

“Or I can just eat the share,” says Obito.

“That’s selfish, hm,” Deidara says.

“We’re not friends,” Obito says. “Only friends share the double popsicle.”

Deidara purses his lips and then he shrugs. “Fine then,” he says. He heads to the park.

Obito follows him, sticking close and continuing to fiddle with the packaging of the popsicles. Obito steps on a twig and Deidara slows his walking. Obito turns and heads toward the swings and he can sense Deidara coming to a complete stop at the sight.

He sits down on one of the swings and begins to rock himself back and forth, eyes never leaving Deidara. Deidara begins to head toward him.

“Are you really going to eat that alone?” he asks when he’s close enough.

Obito stares down at the packaging. It is beginning to melt and the plastic is covered in water. If he doesn’t open it soon, the popsicles will not taste as good.

“If you want to share it with me, you just have to ask,” says Obito. He removes the popsicle from the packaging and breaks it apart. He begins to eat one of them.

Deidara looks like he’s been punched in the gut but he doesn’t move from his spot. He rocks on his heels and then when Obito takes a bite out of his popsicle, he heaves a breath and says, “Can I have the other stick?”

“What’s the magic word?”

“Fuck you,” Deidara says.

“That’s not very nice,” says Obito.

“Fuck you,” Deidara repeats.

“Fine,” Obito says. He hands Deidara the other bar and he takes it gladly. He watches as Deidara licks it from the bottom to the top, nodding at the flavor, and then sits down on the neighboring swing.

Obito doesn’t speak up until he finishes his popsicle.

“Why are you really here?”

Deidara makes a sound and throws him an annoyed glance. “Why are you here, yeah?” he asks.

“I asked you first,” says Obito.

“I can’t tell you,” says Deidara.

“Why not?”

“It’s because we’re not friends, yeah,” Deidara says.

Obito scrunches up his nose. He bites down on to the stick and the flavor of wood floods his tongue.

“We aren’t friends,” Obito says eventually.

“No, we aren’t,” says Deidara. “You said it first.”

“That’s true,” Obito says. He takes the stick from his mouth and tosses it far away. It lands in a bush. Can they be friends?

“I’m here because my parents come home really late,” Obito finds himself saying. “I don’t like it when the house is quiet because then I can hear my own thoughts way too clearly.”

Deidara doesn’t respond at first and Obito can only hear him chew the popsicle stick.

“Turn on the TV,” he hears Deidara say.

“I want to,” Obito says, “but my parents will definitely scold me for wasting electricity, or think that I’m watching TV instead of doing homework.”

He turns to see Deidara shrug at that.

“My parents won’t care, hm,” Deidara replies.

Obito watches Deidara carefully, not sure how to respond to that. Maybe Deidara doesn’t even want him to respond.

Deidara doesn’t say anything to prompt him to reply, either. They just sit there, mutually agreeing in a comforting silence.

Cars pass by the park from time to time, a river of motors and gas. The two of them look up every time they do. They look up and then look at each other, then turn back to watching the grass in the dark.

Maybe they can just spend time in each other’s flats, instead of being out here in the dark. Maybe they can work while being in each other’s presence, rather than waste time here doing nothing.

Maybe they can do much more than this.

But they are not friends. Obito knows they won’t be doing anything other than this.

“Well, my folks are going to come back soon, hm,” Deidara says.

Obito looks up. Deidara watches him.

He should speak up. Say anything.

He doesn’t.

“Goodbye,” Obito says.

“Bye,” Deidara replies with a strange look on his face. He turns to leave.

Obito watches as the shape of Deidara’s back grows smaller and smaller, eventually fading into a single dot in his vision as the light grows weaker.

“Wait.” Obito finds himself bolting out of the swing and heading toward the entrance after Deidara.

Deidara stops walking but he doesn’t turn back around.

“Wait,” Obito repeats. He stands a few paces behind Deidara, shifting his weight from one foot to another as he tries to gather his words. He should say something important to really catch Deidara’s attention.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Obito asks.

Deidara turns his head ever so slightly, glancing at Obito over his shoulder. He smiles one of those smiles of his and says, “Sure, Tobi.”

Obito doesn’t speak up again as Deidara continues walking away.


End file.
